I have been trying to find the best drugstore brow products and am coming up short handed.

Here are the latest contestants, from top to bottom. (All purchased from Target or CVS)

Brow Stylist Definer by L’OREAL – Ultra fine pencil with spool brush – works ok, seems like I have to apply a lot of pressure to get a line drawn, color matching decent, stayed in place most of the day.

Brow Fantasy by Revlon – Weird powder and brow gel with a spool applicator and sponge tip – negative, and that’s all I have to say.

Micro Brow Pencil by NYX – again, have to apply a ton of pressure to draw lines, it shouldn’t be such a struggle, color matching could be better, stayed in place.

Brow Pencil by Revlon – It has a thicker angled point brow product and a spool brush on one end, didn’t have to press too hard, stayed well, I didn’t have to use a ton of product, the thickness of it makes it tough to draw hair like lines, seems like it’s better for those who like to use a shading technique.Bottom line: I’m still searching. Do not want to spend $21 on a specialty brow product, haven’t found my perfect match on color and although I like to be able to draw a thin line to fill in my brows, I prefer not to have to apply super-human pressure to do so.

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White Chicken Chili (without beans) – Just 100% good and quick! Follow the crock-pot recipe to make it ridiculously easy. www.TheRealFoodRDS.com Serve with some tortilla chips or diced avocado. (photo from TheRealFoodRDS)

Taco Tuesday Stuffed Peppers – Not the easiest or quickest but it’s totally worth the work. Recipe is here. I love to make these in addition to our regular Taco night menu. They make perfect leftovers for lunch to-go. (My photo)

Sheet Pan Dinners – One pan and done. I love these type of dinners. Just be sure you have a higher quality sheet pan so it doesn’t warp in the middle of baking. I typically use Chicken Thighs or Boneless Pork Chops. Check it out here www.TheKitchn.com (photo from TheKitchn)

Spaghetti & The Meatball – Yep you read that right “THE Meatball”, meaning one meatball 🙂 A step up from our typical sketti & frozen meatballs & sauce dish. We like to follow this recipe from www.HalfBakedHarvest.com except we double the meat and divide into 8-10 large meatballs. (photo from HalfBakedHarvest)

Whole30 Style Zuppa Toscana (Olive Garden Dupe) – I’ve tried a few different variations and they always turn out super yummy. Check out the recipe here: www.FarmsteadChic.com (photo from FarmsteadChic)

MYO Night – also known as Make Your Own and/or Leftover night. The kids really hate to see this on our meal board. They eventually figure something out and all is good again in the world.

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Make a list. Creating a To-Do list with things like Do Laundry or Empty Dishwasher can help you stay focused on what really needs to be done. As each task is completed draw a line through it.

2. Stay positive. Nobody likes a Negative Nancy. Thinking positive thoughts actually help us feel better. Make up a mantra and repeat it in your mind to push the negative ones out. Think something like this: “I have everything I need to be happy and I am thankful today for_______.” Fill in the blank. Are you thankful for the sun streaming through your curtains? Are you thankful for the friend that called to say hello? Are you thankful you weren’t actually out of toilet paper?

3. Be aware. I have preached this before but you should always be aware and observant. Complacency is not your best friend. Be aware of yourself, your family, bank account, co-workers, credit score, neighbors, what’s in your refrigerator, etc …. You can’t improve things if you don’t know where you stand.

4. Be proactive. It’s as simple as this: Do the right thing, don’t be jerk to others and don’t treat your body like an out-house.

5. Finally, there can’t be a true-er phrase when it comes to keeping your act together: Don’t sweat the small stuff. Give yourself a break if you mess up. We are not perfect and we are allowed to make mistakes. Just try to learn from them, “yeah THAT was not my best decision” and move on. Do not beat yourself up.

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There are so many things to do in the Downtown Pensacola area. I compiled this list based on the places we like to visit and places we would tell our friends and families to go. If I didn’t include a certain place, it’s because we haven’t been there or haven’t been there enough to give a review.

Let me add, this is a SHORT list of the many places to go and things to do in our town. I could go on and on. In an effort to not go on and on I decided to stick to the following for the reasons previously stated.

Where to Dine: All are locally owned

Wine Bar Palafox – Happy Hour every day 11-6, extensive wine list, full bar, nice menu. Great for a quick bite before a show at the Seanger or Vinyl, date night or girls night out.

Where to Stay: It’s tough to recommend places to stay in your home town since typically we stay at our house, haha. However, we have had the opportunity to stay in or have heard first person reviews from friends that have stayed in the following hotels/bed & breakfasts. For families, you can check VRBO. With that said if you are traveling here you’ll prob want to stay on Pensacola Beach and those tips will require a separate post.

Blue Angel Shows – If you are lucky enough to be in the area for this air show you will continue to return. Simply amazing! These pilots fly all over the country but the “Home” shows are typically in July & November.

Pensacola Lighthouse – climb to the top and enjoy the view! We had so much fun exploring the grounds of this historic spot.

Ft Barancas – Also located on NAS, You could easily visit the Fort and the Lighthouse after the Aviation Museum if you plan it right.

TT Wentworth Museum – located in Downtown Pensacola and full of artifacts and info about the city. Perfect for a rainy day. See if you can find the petrified cat.

Vinyl Music Hall – We have seen soooooo many shows here. Drvin’ & Cryin’, The Revivalists, Fleetwood Mac Cover Band, Guns & Roses Cover Band… It’s your typical standing room only venue with a swanky bar in the back called 5 1/2 (five and a half). You can access the bar from Garden St as well if Vinyl isn’t open.

Pensacola Seanger Theater – We have also seen an array of shows here! Pensacola Children’s Chorus performances, Grace Potter, Jerry Seinfeld, BB King, Robert Cray… recently Tedeschi Trucks Band. I hear the White Tie Rock Ensemble is fantastic!
Little fact: In 2017, I danced (more like frantically trying to remember the steps with the rest of the group) on the Seanger stage for a Dancing with The Stars style event to raise funds for a local charity! yep!

Shopping – Downtown Pensacola and surrounding areas are full of boutiques ranging from upscale to second hand. Palafox street is lined with a majority of shops of all types. Check out this article on Visit Pensacola to find out more.

Graffiti Bridge – a Pensacola Landmark also known as the 17th Ave trestle, this concrete bridge was built waaaay back for the CSX train. Police tolerate graffiti on the bridge, giving its name. Ever changing, the painted on graffiti has been estimated to be 3 inches thick! You might want to pull over in the boat launch parking lot to get a good look.

Nightlife: Where to go for an after dinner drink, hear some live music or satisfy your dancing mood

Old Hickory Whiskey Bar – Think of a 1920’s Speakeasy complete with bartenders in leather aprons….. These guys and gals know the “brown stuff”. This is where you go when you want a fancy cocktail made with love!

World of Beer – pretty much sums it up, Blend Lounge is in the back if you want more of a full bar experience with thumping music. Taco Agave is also in this establishment with a small fresh mexican style menu and an array of margaritas – Strawberry Jalapeno is yum!

Seville Quarter – can’t decide weather you want to bust a move in da club or groove to a cover band belting out ballads or watch dueling piano show or play pool or visit the saloon bar where there’s no telling what band will be on for the evening. Maybe you just want to chill in the courtyard or end of the alley and listen to some reggae. Seville Quarter has 7 rooms of fun, seriously. You could spend all evening here and not get bored. Seville also has a wine shop and restaurant serving lunch dinner and Sunday Brunch.

Fish House Deck – usually a band during some nights of the week and on the weekends on the outside deck. Check the calendar to be sure especially in the off-season months. Wednesday is ladies night on the Deck and ladies drinks are $2!

There ya have it! My rundown of the places I’d recommend to my family and friends. I hope this is helpful in planning your trip to Pensacola and I hope you have a good experience in your your visit. Thanks so much for visiting my blog.
We love to travel and also love a stay-cation from time to time. You can read about some of our other trips like New Orleans and Breckenridge here and here.
What would you recommend if friends were coming to your hometown?

Well, kinda. To get to Spring weather….. crisp mornings and low humidity…. we have to get through February and March. These can be the coldest months in the NW Florida Panhandle. We don’t get to experience a lot of seasons. A cold front here and there and sometimes if we are really lucky the temps will drop into the “possible snow” zone. This is usually accompanied with school closures, mass hysteria at the grocery and everyone discussing how crazy it is that we could possibly get snow! I agree but since it’s happened a few times over the last two months I’m more like eh, schools are gonna close and lets build a fire. haha

I digress…. what Spring means to me is a chance to wear something different!!!
TA-DAAAAH!

I’ve put together some of the items I have my eye on for Spring. Taking in the feels of Valentine’s Day everything pink is catching my eye. Some are already in my closet and some are sitting in the online shopping cart waiting for a sale 🙂
*Please don’t pay full price for anything unless its an emergency or you know it NEVER goes on sale*

So there ya have it! The super cute items that have been catching my eye lately. What I like most is that all of these items could be worn from work to play to date night. The other thing I like is that each of these retailers have sales ALL THE TIME! I shop online and put things in my cart then I check back every couple days. Or I’ll get an email regarding a sale and Boom! I click click click and reap the rewards 🙂

Thanks so much for visiting my blog! Please share with your friends!!

*I did not include direct links so there is no confusion over affiliate links. I have not been compensated or given free products for this post or my ideas. It’s 100% all my thoughts and personal opinions.

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I have used just about every hair product under the sun!
Being in my mid-forties (ugh) has given plenty of time to experiment. I have been on a quest to acheive the look I want with-out damaging my hair and with-out spending a fortune or loads of time. If you know me, I’ll throw my hair in a top knot in a hot second if I feel so inclined. I want to extend the time between shampoos. I don’t want to spend 30 minutes drying and styling my hair every other morning. #worldproblems

What’s my hair type?
My hair is fine (likes to frizz in our lovely mostly humid weather), I bleach and color my hair regularly… Well, my hair stylist bleaches and colors. haha!
I haven’t personally bleached my hair since I was 14. It was called “frosting” back then and I have vivid memories of my mom and I taking turns wearing the plastic cap with holes and pulling our hair through with a little metal hook that came with the store bought kit. Hello 1987!! Does this bring back any memories for you? I’m so grateful for foiling!

My hair tends to get oily at the crown and I typically cannot go more than two days with-out washing. Dry shampoo you say? No ma’am. It weighs down my hair and makes it look like I need a shower even more so. I really envy the girls who say “by Friday I’m 80% dry shampoo” while fluffing their perfect hair.
Wash your hair at night, girl! Negative, I cannot sleep on wet hair. I’ll wake up with a really crazy frizzy situation!
Gel is crunchy, mousse is heavy, hair spray… just no.
Washing and blow drying my hair three times a week at least then using a flat iron and/or curling iron makes it dry and damaged at the ends.

Alrighty, enough about my hair…. I think you get the picture and my struggles.

Here are my needs:

#1: I do NOT want to feel anything in my hair.
#2: I want to be able to get more days between washings.
#3: I will not pay a crazy amount for a product that is literally going down the drain. Been there, done that, over it.

Here’s my latest greatest repurchase: OGX Biotin & Collagen

It smells amazing and feels nourishing the second it hits my scalp. I swear my hair has more body after using this line for a couple of months.

Their thermal protection treatment feels weightless. I use about a nickel size amount and work it into my damp hair starting in the middle and finishing up on the roots. Moroccan Argan Oil goes into my ends and I’m ready to blow dry.

I’ll section my hair and use a paddle brush once I’ve gotten most of the moisture out.
I have a Moroccan Oil Flat Iron and and old curling iron (I can’t remember the name of) to finish out my hair depending on what I want to do with it. Since I’m usually in a hurry, running the flat iron through seems to be just fine. (I section my hair for this too) Typically on the second day I’ll curl. But low and behold – since using the thermal protection treatment I can get through a third day!!!!!! Hallelujah!!! Praise be!!
I know you get my excitement on this.

So there ya have it! My go-to hair products. I may grab another shampoo out of this line to alternate (because I’ve heard that’s a good thing) maybe the Coconut Oil one?

Pre-heat oven to 350
Start the rice, following the directions on the package. Typically this will take 20-30 min.
Slice bell peppers in half long-wise, clean out seeds trying to keep as much of the stem area in tact. This will create a little “boat” for the stuffing mixture.
Place the bell pepper halves in an oblong, shallow casserole dish with aprox a cup of water. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 8-12 minutes or until the peppers start to soften.
While peppers and rice are cooking, brown the ground turkey in a large skillet. Follow cooking directions on Taco seasoning packet.
Once turkey is browned and taco seasoning has been added, mix in the drained black beans. Let cook until all the liquids have been absorbed.
When the rice is finished add to turkey and bean mixture.
Place softened bell peppers in a 13X9 casserole dish…. this could be the same dish you already used, just drain out the water. Now fill the peppers with the turkey mixture. I like to press down gently to make sure I get all of the pepper filled. Finally I top with some shredded cheese and pop in the oven for 20 minutes.

Serve topped with fresh cilantro, a side salad or guac and chips and you have a delicious and beautiful meal! This will make 6 small servings. I love having these ready to go for leftovers! For our big family I make these along with regular taco meat and all the basics. 🙂